As a young kid, my brother and I always looked forward to that first snow falling. We took great care every year with our sled, making sure it was in tip top shape. We destroyed everything around the house but our long red plastic sled, it was like our trophy. When the snow came in day or at night it meant one thing, snow busting fast speeds, blazing down any bump, hill, or cliff.
This one particular snow, we had used up all the hills around the house and we seeked a more adrenaline pumping challenge and we knew only one place that could give us our fix. The community college!! The hills at the community college were a sled monsters dream. Long and steep, you were guaranteed a breath taking ride. But, the only problem was getting there. So, my brother and I knew we had to bring our best "sad puppy" routine. "Mom will you take us to the college to sled?" We had never been to the college before, we had yearned for this chance every snow day and we used that as leverage too! So, finally with us getting on her nerves enough, she gave into our request.
We were so pumped up and excited that now we were getting our chance. Trying to make sure that we had our warmest gear on (knowing we couldn't just come in the house and if we got cold the trip was over) we put on layer after layer of clothes. Dressed like two Michelin Men, we were off. Now, seeing that the college was in town and knowing we couldn't keep this all to ourselves. We talked mom in to stopping by and picking our cousin Marcus (name changed). We were two country boys and Marcus was (for where we were from) a city boy. He wasn't the sledding type and on snow days it just meant he didn't have to go to school and got to stay at home, messing around the house. So with a little convincing we talk him into coming out to the college with us.
So here we are, on the way to the much anticipated community college and we are all talking about the awesome tricks we are about to do. "Imma ramp off, do a 360, flip sideways, spin around, and probably be 30 feet in air" One after another trying to out-do the next persons dreams of grandeur. The college sat up high on snow covered hills like Olympus in the clouds. We pull up, looking at which side is best and trying to navigate mom to the place to get the maximum speed. The hills were perfect. These baby mountains looking at us and the best thing was no big dangers in our path. Only two very small dogwood trees and we could see that there wasn't any other tracks on the hills and it was all ours to be the first of the year to break this beast in. We dash out of the car, arguing over who would go first. But, that was all put to rest once we got to the edge at the top. My brother and cousin quickly had second thoughts, so without hesitation I knew I had to show them the way. I grab the sled, take the normal head first position (so that way you could steer with touching your hands to the snow) and before my mom can yell "wait" I am off. YOOO HOOOO!!!!! Snow blowing back in my face I couldn't see anything and could only tell how fast I was going by the strength of the wind in my face. The sled was screaming like a skier coming down a ski jump. It seemed like the ride was forever.
Finally, I reach the bottom, snow filling my face and nothing but eyes and a smile sticking out. WOW!!! Now any sled rider knows the worst part is the walk back up the hill and as I am walking up I can see that my ride has sent my brother and cousin into an excited frenzy. The closer I get to the top, the more I hear them bickering about who's next. Once there, my mom had talked my brother into letting my cousin go next because he didn't get many chances like this and we were always taught to be courteous. So I lay the sled down and hold on to it explaining how to steer and slow down. My cousin dives into the sled and he is off!! Now because he dives I notice that he isn't on the same path that I was on and starts off to the left. This was no problem there was no trees to left and the two little dogwoods were on the right side where I went. So I'm thinking everything is cool. But, as we watch him it seems as if he is now curving back in to the right and headed right for one of the little dogwood trees (as if the tree was reeling in a fishing line). You start to hear from a whisper to a yell, get over, Get Over, GET OVER! BLAM, head first into the smallest of two trees on the hill at full speed. When he hit, it was so square to the tree that he bounced in the air and hit and stopped at the bottom of this thin tree. "OH SHIT", my mom yells out! I on the other hand, thought I had just seen the funniest thing in my life lay on the ground cracking up and my brother standing there shocked. My mom with a panicked looked on her face demands us to come and make sure he is ok. I couldn't move! I was in such hysterics that she commenced to beating my ass! "Get your ass up now, he is badly hurt". They run, I roll and we make it down to my cousin. He laying there lifeless and limp. I look at the tree and notice some bark missing from where he had made contact. Then I look down at him and see the missing bark pieces all in his teeth. This sent me back into a tear flowing laugh again, which in turn got me a few more slaps up side the head. But good thing, he was breathing!
Now here we are trying to push him up these steep hills to get back to the car and he is dead weight. My mom you can hear her "oh God, oh God", my brother looking half disappointed that he got no turn on sled and half relieved it wasn't him that hit the tree, and me trying to push, getting butt beat and laughing at same time. So we make it to the top and jump in the car. My brother and I in the back and my cousin in the front seat. As we are riding to the hospital, every bump we hit is making the limp head of my cousin bounce around and in the backseat we are catching glimpses of his bark mouth silhouette and swollen lips, which again send me off into a gut busting laughter. My mom reaching around popping me every time she even heard a squeak.
We make it! The nurses comes and take my cousin away and my mom goes to make the phone call to my Aunt about what happened. My brother and I were discussing what happened, how did he hit one of those small trees so square on on these huge hills? A day or two passes and we return to the hospital to check up on our cousin. As we entered the room we notice he was in good spirits and come to find out he had only received 9 stitches in his lip and other than that he was fine. We had to ask him " What happened man? Why didn't you roll off the sled or brake? How did you hit those little trees? In a low tone not to move his lips too much he only responded, "my eyes were closed". Which may have saved his life due to him not expecting the contact, he was relaxed (like the drunk driver that walks away from the accident). So as a lesson learned, Never Sled With Your Eyes Closed!!
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